Watch out for the “Proud Boys” and other violent racists today

At the State Capitol now (Saturday, July 10, 2017) at 4 pm. Antifa counterprotesters at the bottom of the hill, #marchagainstsharia protesters at the top, marshalls in between. Via twitter, Anna V Smith, High Country News.

From Unicorn Riot, (@UR_ninja) pictures of the Proud Boys and others ready to spread hate and fear today:

From Unicorn Riot, photos of Proud Boys, neo-nazis, and other racists at the Capitol today.

Proud Boys, a white supremacist, violent organization of young males , had a rally in Boulder on June 3, 2017, and plan another “Anti-Sharia March” in Denver at the Capitol from 3:30 – 6 pm on Saturday, July 10. EDIT: The Anti-Sharia Marches are organized by ACT for America, (Facebook link here) . These anti-Sharia Marches are in 19 cities nationwide. A wide coalition of racist, violent, anti-Muslim groups are attending, including ACTforamerica, the ProudBoys, the Oathkeepers, and the Threepercenters (shown below in Atlanta). The Southern Poverty Law Center is live-blogging them. You can follow the hashtag #hatewatch or #CounterActHate.

On June 3, in Boulder, a dozen or so of the “Boys” demonstrated at the Boulder courthouse, behind police barricades. They were met by about 250 counter-protesters, including some “AntiFa” (Antifascists) dressed in black, with black kerchiefs covering their faces. At some point during the counter-protest, someone threw firecrackers at the Proud Boys, and one of the counter-demonstrators was arrested.

The “Boys” are basically thugs, led by a felon (Kyle Chapman), and right wing provocateur/entertainer (Gavin McInnes).Per Will Sommer’s article on Medium.com, The “Proud Boys” have four initiation rituals: 1) they declare that they are a Proud Boy, 2) they are “beat in” to their group 3) they follow the group’s regimen, which includes “no masturbation” and getting a tattoo. Finally, 4) they must beat up or at least brawl with an anti-fascist protester.

Last April, in Berkeley at the Free Speech event , the “Boys” and the counter protesting “AntiFas” caused injuries, 20 arrests, and talk of shutting down Free Speech on campus. Anne Coulter’s planned speech was canceled, as the campus could not guarantee her safety.

From what I can tell, the “Boys” were the instigators and the most violent; many people saw the viral video of one of the Boys punching a woman in the face.

However, the arrests and public blaming all went to the counterprotesters. The news media, of course, loves a sensation. Street brawling and near-rioting makes for clicks and ad buys. Also, we have an administration which would like nothing better than to ban public assemblies, or to declare martial law, “for public safety”.

It appears that the “March Against Sharia” is over. One arrest, of a Denver Nazi with a prior record. No brawling, no fighting. The DPD did a fine job keeping the fascists and the antifascists separate. Both groups were itching for a fight, and I’m glad to see them disappointed. Some of the black-masked “Antifa” folks probably are paid provocateurs, in my opinion. I’ve been around the left for 40+years, and I know that there are professional agents whose job is to spy on and disrupt any effective progressive movement. It’s a lesson I’m afraid that these young protesters will need to learn the hard way.

At the very end, police in riot gear pushed the counter-protesters out across Broadway and into Civic Center Park, trying to make them disperse and eliminate any confrontations after the event. Per Unicorn Riot’s video.

Hopefully, many will make it to one of the many interfaith cultural events and make a connection with a Muslim person and Islamic culture.It is, in fact, a religion of peace and compassion.

To prevent the spread of Sharia and exercise Free speech. Nigga, What's offensive about my name? I sexually identify as a "niggerfaggot" Do you have a problem with my sexual identities? That's very bigoted.

I have 0 problem with your sexual identities, although I seriously doubt that you are either a racial minority or gay.. You're just using the username to shock and to troll. I do have a problem with your Islamophobobia, this idea that people should be feared, hated and suppressed because of their religion, and the very out front anti-semitism and racism exhibited at your "ProudBoy" rallies, including the one in Denver. Your username should be changed because it is offensive. The history of the word "nigger" has always been to keep black people down.

Ice Cube added that the slur is "like a knife. You can use it as a weapon or you can use it as a tool. It's been used as a weapon against us by white people, and we're not gonna let that happen again by nobody, because it's not cool. It's in the lexicon, everybody talk it, but it's our word now. You can't have it back."

Re: "faggot" and why it's offensive: This too, was used to justify the murder of gay men. It said that men who were feminine, who were too much like women, did not deserve to live. Here's a Huffpost writer with a personal interpretation:

“Faggot.”

I heard it every single day. I think at some point I heard it more than I heard my own name, but that’s the intended purpose of the word. It names you. It classifies you. It puts you in a category that is subhuman so that it can justify the abuse.

It’s like a virus in that way. It infiltrates you, overwhelms your defenses, and, if you go too long without help, it overtakes you until you’re not yourself anymore. You’re a “faggot,” and a “faggot” doesn’t have feelings, doesn’t have rights, doesn’t have agency.

Black and gay Polsters – what say you? I can keep censoring his username (at least on my own diaries), and am willing to do so every time he makes an appearance – I'm just a bisexual, and most of y'all don't think we actually belong in the LGBT fam. Should NF' be able to keep his username?

Basically, these words are used to hurt people. You, on the other hand, are only using this username to troll liberals and to feel like a rebel. If you actually do identify with these names, if you are that beat down in your self esteem, then I feel sorry for you. And I've looked at the proudboys videos – they're definitely all homo-erotic – I would guess that the majority of you are gay or bisexual. That's OK with me – you just don't have the right to abuse or demean others with your words or actions.

So, no, I'm not going to put on a black mask and come after you. If you actually read my article, I asked the "antifa" to leave you alone. And you all are cowards – you hide behind your police barricades, display your stupid ass "Kekistan" flags and your SS shirts and your White Power hand signals and you're safe from any real accountability.

I called you guys idiots, because I think that you are choosing to be ignorant and racist. Do you imagine that Trump will have your back just because you echo the worst of his slurs against Muslims? Hell, no. He'll take your health care, your grandma's Medicaid, your job and your clean air.

. Then the police state y’ll put in power, after you’ve interned the Muslims and the immigrants, will come after the racial and sexual “identities” you claim.

I'll leave it up to Pols to make the final decision on your username. If I still have the power to censor it, I'll censor it again as many times as it takes. As far as your words and opinions – We are one of the rare blogs that gives people some freedom, within the guidelines – let's see what you do with it.Your performance so far is not promising.

I never have dinner with the President.
And when I see your ass again, I'll be hesitant.
Now I think you a snitch,
Throw a house nigga in a ditch.
Half-pint bitch, fuckin' your homeboys.
You little maggot, Eazy E turned faggot.
With your manager, fella,
Fuckin' MC Ren, Dr. Dre, and Yella.
But if they were smart as me,
Eazy E would be hangin' from a tree.
With no Vaseline, just a match and a little bit of gasoline.
Light 'em up, burn 'em up, flame on,
Till that Jheri curl is gone.
On a permanent vacation, off the Massa plantation.
Heard you both got the same bank account,
Dumb nigga, what you thinkin' bout?
Get rid of that Devil real simple, put a bullet in his temple.
'cause you can't be the Nigga 4 Life crew
With a white Jew tellin' you what to do.

This reminds me of the KKK rallies back in the early 90s. My wife and I were part of a group that produced a GLBT news program on cable access in Denver. The show covered a couple of those rallies. At one of them, it was Klansmen and neo-Nazis who had to be shepherded into the Capitol Building and lead through the underground passages to keep them safe from the counter-protesters.